TUCSON, ARIZ. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Arizona), published as received.

TUCSON, Ariz. – David Kapone Williams, 36, of Tucson, was sentenced on Sep. 16, by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 335 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Williams previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. 

Williams admitted to being a member of the Western Hills Bloods (WHB) criminal street gang that operated in Tucson, Arizona. The WHB was an organized group of individuals involved in a pattern of racketeering activity, including narcotics trafficking, possessing firearms, witness intimidation, and committing violent crimes, including murder, on behalf of the gang.  

According to court documents, on May 15, 2015, along with other WHB members, David Williams murdered a rival gang member in the parking lot of the La Quinta Hotel near the Tucson International Airport. WHB members also participated in the October 2014 homicide of an individual near Fremont Street in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to the violence, Williams engaged in trafficking narcotics in Tucson, and throughout the United States, on behalf of the WHB. 

Several of Williams’ Western Hills Bloods co-defendants were previously sentenced in this case, including:

Marcell Demetrius Gray pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity.  Gray was sentenced on May 27, 2026, to 335 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Shawmaine Eustace Ardell Moore pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. He was sentenced on Dec. 3, 2025, to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Samuel Lee Berrelle Rakestraw III pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. Rakestraw was sentenced on May 28, 2025, to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Michael Anthony Williams pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. He was sentenced on Mar. 26, 2025, to 262 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Jermaine Lamar Maxwell pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. He was sentenced to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Cliffton Martinez pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Martinez was sentenced on Dec. 7, 2022, to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. 

Labarr Martinez pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. He was sentenced on July 19, 2023, to 50 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. 

“With Williams’ sentence, this long-fought battle to bring members of the violent Western Hills Bloods to justice finally comes to an end,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “But that doesn’t mean we are anywhere close to ending our mission to bring safety to Tucson’s streets. The persistence of law enforcement and prosecutors in this case should stand as a warning to other gangs and violent offenders out there – we won’t tire in seeking justice.”

“This significant sentence is part of an over ten-year effort to hold members of the Western Hills Bloods, a violent criminal street gang, accountable for their acts of violence and intimidation which they inflicted on the citizens of Tucson,” said A.J. Gibes, Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Phoenix Field Division. “This years-long effort by ATF and our partners with the Tucson Police Department and Arizona Department of Public Safety is indicative of our unwavering commitment to protecting the public from violent armed offenders and armed drug traffickers.”

This investigation is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Sottosanti, Michelle Chamblee, and Brian Hopkins, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            18-CR-01695-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2026-162_Williams, et al.

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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